Expansion rails



Aug. 2.3, 1960 E. wA'rsoN ExPANsIoN RAILs Filed May 1, 1959 Unie tates Patent O EXPANSION RAILS Edwin Watson, 1101 Bowles Ave., Littleton, Colo. Filed May 1, 1959, Ser. No. 810,272

1 Claim. (Cl. 238-479) This invention relates to an expansion rail for railroad traeks. Dificulties are encountered in keeping railroad rails in perfect condition and alignment due to temperature expansion in the rails. This difliculty is becoming more aggravated since the welding of the rails into continuous exceedingly long lengths is present practice. In certain locations, `diiferences in atmospheric temperature of possibly 100 to l20 F. is encountered. This range of temperature causes considerable expansion in each individual rail length and when they are welded together, the expansion is, of course, multiplied -to the destruction of the track.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an expansion rail which can be inserted along the track -at selected points and which will operate to eiciently and safely accommodate the temperature expansions and contractions in the rails without 1aifecting the running qualities of the r-ails.

Another object of the invention is to provide an expansion rail for the above purpose which will have perfect expansion characteristics without interfering with the load carrying capacity of the track and without creating wheel noises.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency. These Will become more apparent from the vfollowing description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to lthe accompanying drawing which forms a part herof. Like numerals refer to like parts inall views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the dravw'ng:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one side of the midpor-tion of the improved expansion rail;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of the other side thereof; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section through the expansion .portiou of the rail taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1.

The improved expansion rail may ibe of any desired length, preferably of a length to correspond to a standard rail length. The complete expansion rail is formed in two longitudinally -aligned rail Sections 10 and 11. One extremity of the section 10 is cut back to form a narrow overlapping extremity 12, and the section 11 is similarly cut back to form a similar overlapping extremity 13, so that when the two overlapping extremities are faced together, as indicated by the joining line 16, the combined width of the two overlapping extremities will equal the standard rail width of the rail Sections 10 and 11.

The overlapping extremity 12 of the rail section 10 is provided, on its inner face, with a longitudinally extending dove-tailed key 17. An indented guide groove 18 is formed along the upper edge of said inner face and a guide flange 19 extends longitudinally .along the lower edge thereof.

The inner face of the overlapping extremity 13 of the rail section 11 contains a longitudinally-extending dovetailed groove 22 which slidably receives the dove-tailed key 17. The latter inner face is provided with an upper edge flange 20 which slidably engages in the guide groove 18 of the extremity .12 and with a receiving groove 21 along its lower edge for slidably receivin-g the guide flange 19.

ICC

The two rail Sections 10 and 11 are joined together in slidable engagement, as shown in 'Figs 1 and 2 to form a complete expansion rail of Substantially standard rail length, which can be inserted in the track in place of a standard rail. The distant extremities of the two rail sections 10 and 11 will be prepared in any of the conventional ways for connection with the .adjacent ra'ils. For instance, they may be prep-ared for welding to the adjacent rails 'or they may be drilled for the attachment of the conventional fish plates and bolts.

It can be seen that with these expansion rails inserted v in the track, the latter can 'freely Vexpand and contract in accordance with temperature changes, for the Voverlapped, slidably engaged extremities of the two rail sections 10 and 11 allow free longitudinal movement.

The plurality of horizontal ledges provided by the dove-tailed key `17 and its dove-tailed slot 22 'and the surfaces of the |guide flange 19 with its receiving groove 21 and the edge flange 20 with its aligning groove 18 maintain .the two rail Sections in rigid horizontal and Vertical alignment. The web of the overlapping extremity 12 is thickened, as indicated at 14, and the overlapping extremity 13 is similarly thiekened, as indicated at 15, so that the overlapped extremities will have the same rail strength as the rem-ainder of the rail. The thickened portions balance the overlapped web on each side of the longitudinal center line, as indicated at A in Fig. 3.

A wheel rolling along the expansion rail will roll 'from one rail section onto one overlapping extremity thence onto the double overlapped extremities at each side of the joining line 16, thence onto the other overlapped extremity 13, and thence onto the other rail section '11 without noise or vibration.

While a Specific 'form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having this described .the invention what is claimed and desired secured -by Letters Patent is:

An expending railway rail comprising: a first rail section; a second rail section; said Sections having a cross section corresponding to a conventional railway rail for the major portions of their lengths; a narrowed extremity formed on each section, said extremities being overlapped to form a longitudinally split overlapped portion corresponding in width to the remainder .of said rail Sections; a dove-tailed key extending longitudinally of the inner face of the first overlapping extremity; a .dove-tailed groove 'formed in the inner face of the second overlapping extremity and slidably receiving Said key; a projecting longitudinally-extending guide flange formed along the lower edge of the inner face of the first overlapping extremity and slidably engaging a receiving groove in the lower edge of the inner face of the second overlapping extremity; a guide groove formed along the upper edge of the inner face of the first overlapping extremity; and a longitudinally extending upper guide flange formed on the upper edge of the inner face of the second overlapping extremity and slidably engaging Said -guide groove, the two extremities being unat-tached against relative longitudinal movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 975,271 Murray z z Nov. 8, 1910 l,095,243 Swindler May 5, 1914 l,l67,l74 Hester Jan. 4, 1916 1,579,976 Unrah Apr. 6, 1926 1,707,355 Graham Apr. 2, 192.9 

